RYE - Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday an award of $824,000 to the Westchester Children’s Museum at the North Bathhouse at Rye Playland.

The money will be used to expand exhibit and operational space for the newly opened museum.

“This milestone grant recognizes the Museum’s significance in meeting the growing demand for fun-filled, interactive learning experiences for children in our region, now and for generations to come,” said Tracy Kay, the museum's executive director.

The museum, at 100 Playland Parkway, opened year-round to the public in 2016 and has had more than 60,000 visitors to date. The museum now anticipates reaching 250,000 annual visitors when fully completed, it said in a statement Thursday.

The grant will be matched by donations from private individuals, businesses and foundations, the museum said.

The museum is located in the Playland bathhouses but operates separately from the county-owned amusement park.

The grant was administered by the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council and is funded through the New York State Council for the Arts/Empire State Development Arts & Cultural Facilities Improvement Program.